CHAPTER XV
A DOG HERO
STUNNED by Mr. Bobbsey’s announcement that Snap was missing, Mrs. Bobbsey and the children looked at one another blankly.
“Snap missing?” Bert finally managed to repeat. “I don’t understand that. He never runs away, and he’s too intelligent a dog to get lost.”
“It does seem strange,” Nan added thoughtfully. “Unless—” She stopped for a moment and looked at Bert. “Do you suppose he went to hunt for us?”
“I’ll bet that’s it!” her twin exclaimed. “It would be just like Snap. Let’s go into the woods and call him. If he hears our voices he’ll know we’re home and will come running.” Bert jumped up from his chair. “May we, Mother?”
Mrs. Bobbsey nodded. In a few minutes the four older children and Mr Bobbsey were ready to go on a search. The little group set off into the dark winter night, with Bert and his father carrying flashlights. They covered the area for nearly half a mile around, calling Snap’s name repeatedly, but no welcoming bark answered them.
“You’re getting too cold, children,” Mr. Bobbsey said finally. “We’ll have to give up for tonight.” So, miserable and tired, they struggled back to the lodge.
“Maybe,” said Harry cheerfully, “Snap followed our trail to Dave’s cabin and is there now I If he is, Dave will know from his identification tag that Snap belongs to you and will be sure to bring him back tomorrow.”
“Oh, I hope you’re right,” Nan said.
Still somewhat anxious, though, the tired children went to bed and promptly fell asleep.
Next morning, however, Snap was still missing. Now the Bobbseys were very worried. What could have happened to their pet?
“Snap might still be at Dave’s cabin,” Dorothy ventured. “Maybe for some reason Dave couldn’t bring him back right away.”
“Then let’s hike over and see,” Freddie urged.
This plan was agreed to, and immediately after breakfast the twins and their cousins started off. After a brisk tramp, they reached the guide’s cabin and knocked on the door. There was no answer, and they were wondering what to do next when Nan cried:
“Here he comes now!”
Dave Burdock emerged from behind the cabin bearing a load of firewood. “Good morning, children. What can I do for you today?”
Bert introduced Freddie and Flossie, then explained that they had hoped to find their dog Snap at the cabin.
Dave shook his head. “Sorry,” he said. “I haven’t seen any dog around here lately. But come in and get warm. Then we can look around this area.”
While the children warmed their hands and feet before the blazing fire, Dave stowed away the firewood. Then he announced, “All right. Let’s go!”
Together, the twins, their cousins, and their new friend scouted the woods surrounding the Burdock cabin, but they found no signs of paw prints in the snow. Nor did Snap appear when they called.
Flossie and Freddie were almost in tears. But Freddie asserted bravely, “I know we’ll find Snap. We’ll just keep looking until we do!”
“I’m sorry I can’t help you search any more today,” Dave explained, “but I have to meet some hunters in town. I’ll certainly keep on the lookout for Snap on my way.”
Thanking Dave for his help, the children started out again. They trudged back to the shore, then turned in the direction the older children had taken the day before.
“We mustn’t forget to look for Pam’s lost puppy, too,” Nan reminded them as they walked along. Just then she looked up and saw Mr. Hoke and Pam coming toward her.
“Hello there!” Nan called, and introduced Freddie and Flossie. “Any luck in finding your puppy?”
Pam shook her head, and tears started to well up in her blue eyes.
“Not a trace,” her father said wearily. “We’re about to give up.”
“We’re looking for a lost dog, too,” said Flossie. “He’s our Snap.”
“That’s too bad. How long has your dog been missing?” Mr. Hoke asked.
Bert explained that they were not sure, but no one had seen him since breakfast time the previous day. He began to whistle sharply as he often did to call Snap.
Suddenly everyone’s face lighted up as a muffled, joyfully barking rang through the woods.
“That’s Snap!” Freddie cried excitedly, and began to run toward the sound. “Here, boy, here!” he called, as the others followed.
They traced the barking to a grove of pines some distance from the path. Bert, fearing that the dog might have met with an accident, overtook Freddie. Then he stopped abruptly.
“Here he is!” Bert cried and pointed to a deep pit in the center of the grove.
At the bottom of the hole stood Snap!
The dog’s tail wagged violently the minute he spied Bert.
“He’s standing over something,” Nan said curiously. “Why, look, it’s a puppy!”
“Chipper!” screamed Pam Hoke and almost fell into the hole in her excitement
“Well, let’s get them out,” Bert urged. “Mr. Hoke, Harry and I will climb down and pass the dogs up to you. Okay?”
The farmer agreed, and within a few moments Snap and Chipper were being hugged and petted by their young owners. Pam and Flossie were laughing and crying at the same time. After the first excitement was over, the older children tried to reconstruct the incident
“I’ll bet little Chipper fell into the hole on his travels and couldn’t get out,” Nan suggested.
“And Snap was on his way to find us,” Bert continued, “but he heard the puppy crying and went to rescue him.”
“But found he couldn’t carry Chipper and climb out of the hole, too,” Harry put in.
“So he stayed with the puppy to keep him safe and warm !” Dorothy exclaimed in wonder. “What a brave dog!”
Pam had heard all of this. With tears of happiness in her eyes, she threw her little arms around Snap’s neck and hugged him gratefully.
“You’re a real hero, Snap!” she cried. “I’ll never forget that you saved my Chipper!”
Smiling, Mr. Hoke added his praise as he patted Snap. “It certainly was a fine thing to do,” he said. “Snap had no way of knowing if he would ever be rescued.”
Freddie shook his head. “Oh, he knew we’d be after him,” he declared with assurance, “but he probably would’ve stayed anyway.”
“Well, children,” Mr. Hoke said, shaking hands with them all, “Pam and I are certainly grateful to you for being such good searchers.” Then shaking Snap’s paw soberly, he added, “And thank you, Snap.”
The Bobbseys’ pet ambled over to Chipper, licked the puppy a few times, then returned to look at the Bobbseys searchingly as if to say, “I’m starved. Let’s go home!”
Laughing happily, the children said good-by to Pam and Mr. Hoke, and set off through the woods for Snow Lodge. A few minutes later they met Dave Burdock, who said he had decided not to go to town until later. He had phoned to the hunters from a house at the edge of the woods.
“I see you found Snap,” he said with a smile.
Eagerly Flossie and Freddie told him the story of Snap’s heroism, and Dave agreed that the dog had shown wonderful courage.
“But listen, children,” he added, “you’d better hurry on back to the lodge right away. I heard a weather bureau broadcast at the house where I phoned. It predicted that a big storm soon would be moving into this area. According to the reports, it may be the worst in many years—a real old-fashioned blizzard.”
“Why don’t you come with us?” Nan asked. “It will be safer at Snow Lodge than in your cabin.”
Dave’s face clouded and he said softly, “No, butthank you.” Turning to leave, he added with a grin, “I’ll be all right, but you won’t if you don’t hurry. Now scoot!”
Laughing, the children said good-by and set off. But by this time Freddie and Flossie were very tired after the long search for Snap. With their pet between them, they lagged farther and farther behind. Bert and Nan noticed the small twins’ exhaustion, and Bert quickly offered to carry Flossie pick-a-back.
“Come on, Freddie,” Harry said with a grin. “I’ll give you a ride on my shoulders.”
Flossie squealed with delight as her steed trotted off, and Freddie pretended to steer Harry along the path. Anxiously, Nan watched the approach of the storm. The skies grew darker and darker, and soon large flakes of snow fell lightly on the hurrying children.
Within a few minutes the wind had become a strong arm that pushed violently against the little group, making every step an effort.
Nan grabbed Snap’s collar and urged him forward, as the snow thickened and swirled about them, almost obscuring the path.
At last they glimpsed the lights of the lodge about a hundred yards ahead of them. “We’d better run for it!” Bert yelled over the shrieking wind. “Hold on, kids!”
Calling on every ounce of their strength, the children raced toward Snow Lodge. But at that moment a sudden gust of howling wind struck and buffeted them about like flimsy paper dolls.
“Hang on tighter!” Bert cried to Flossie.
But the little girl wailed, “I can’t, Bert! I’m slipping! Help!”
Flossie screamed as her fingers slid from her brother’s shoulders and the terrible wind whipped her over backward.
